According to Reuters, two informed sources stated that Renault Group will commence the development of a more affordable Twingo electric model this month, with the aim to start production within two years to counter fierce competition from Chinese rivals.
Reuters noted that Chinese car manufacturers are the world's largest producers of electric vehicles and are rapidly entering the European market, forcing established companies like Renault to cut costs and shorten the time to market for new models. Chinese electric car manufacturers have reduced the development time for new cars to an average of 2.5 years, about half the time needed by traditional car manufacturers.
One of the sources added that Renault's electric vehicle subsidiary, Ampere, will begin selecting suppliers, building prototype vehicles, and expanding production capacity. As the information is currently confidential, the sources refused to disclose their identities.
Renault has also been working to shorten the average five-year development time of traditional car manufacturers. The development time for the electric version of the Megane model under Renault is four years, while the electric version of the R5, set to be launched this year, took three years to develop.
Last month, Renault's technical director Gilles Le Borgne told the French newspaper Les Echos that engineers are reducing the number of components by 20% to expedite the launch of the Twingo, using more common parts, and favoring parts provided by suppliers.
Another informed source mentioned that Renault plans to mass-produce the new Twingo model in 2026, and this model will be assembled at the Novo Mesto factory in Slovenia. Currently, this factory produces the current electric Twingo ZE model.
Regarding the above report, Renault declined to comment. Over the past 30 years, including fossil fuel and electric versions, Twingo models have sold more than 4 million units.
Renault also aims to collaborate with other car manufacturers to further reduce costs and is in talks with the Volkswagen Group to share the Twingo platform. One of the sources stated that these negotiations will continue in parallel with the development of the Twingo electric model, and the outcome of the negotiations will not affect the development work on the model.
